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Page 10 of 10 Original Research

Appendix 1: Study definitions

• Previous defaulter: Past single or serial failure by the patient to collect his or her treatment as documented in the clinical record or on
TIER.Net.
• Ward-based outreach team (WBOT): A clinic-based team that collected treatment on the patient’s behalf at any time during the study
period. A patient could thus be categorised in one, two or three categories in terms of treatment collection during the study period.
• Transfer/move out as per clinical record or TIER.Net: A distinction was made about whether or not the new treatment collection site was
still the primary care facility or at a higher level of care.
• Co-morbidity as documented on ART stationery: If the co-morbidity was unstated but treatment was prescribed during the period under
review at any time, the patient was considered as having the related co-morbidity.
• Recent hospitalisation: A discharge summary spanning the previous 12 months recorded in the patient file or specified in clinical notes.
• Suppressed viral load: A reading of < 400 copies/mL.
• Adequate immunological response: A CD4 cell count of ≥ 350 cells/mm within 1 year of the data census being documented in the clinical
3
record.
• Loss to follow-up: The patient’s treatment was not collected within 3 months (90 days) of the latest (last) study visit at the study census
and the patient could not be traced either telephonically or at his or her place of residence by community health workers during data
collection period.
• Died: The patient’s date of death was documented in the clinical records or on TIER.Net.

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